Ceremonie at the Jimbaran Beach

During
our journey we were asked again and again, how long we would stay on Bali. When
we said our departure date is the 13. April 2002 the people congratulated us,
because we would be able to see the largest and most spectacular celebration,
the New Year celebration, called Nyepi. We were already very curios on which we
would expect there.

One of our daily beach walks, we heard, that already 2
days before the New Year celebration a large ceremony will take place in the
late afternoon in honours of the sea-goddess. Of course we wanted to see this
event. By the way festively dressed women and girls came with their offering
baskets, balanced on there head, to the beach and we already thought that this
is the beginning of the ceremony. But more and more people came to the beach.

A
young Balinesian woman explained us, that we could take part at any time the
celebration, if we were correct dressed with Sarong and temple scarf.
Unfortunately we had no more time to go back at the hotel to change our dresses
into the correct way, because in the meantime, the ceremonies had already begun.
She offered us, to fit us out with her own clothes and we went home with her to
dress the Silk sarong and the Sarong of her father with temple scarf. So we
could now take part at the celebration like Balinesian people. A very great,
unforgettable experience.

Also the New Year celebration was, as announced, a
great funny event. On New Years Eve there is a kind of Carnival parade
in all places of Bali, with enormous Demon figures (Ogo Ogo). They are
carried, with much noise and music out of the villages, because together
with the Demons, the bad influences go away, too. The Fantasy by
building the Figures are no borders set. Young and old people take part
with big enthusiasm. Punctually at midnight is the whole event over.

Now it begins the “silence or quiet day”. Starting
from this time up to the next day midnight is absolute silent in whole
Bali. No public life, the airport is closed, no taxis, the families
stays in their houses, no lights are switched on, no candles burn and
every behaves quietly, so that the spirit of the bad Demons do not find
back again. Also the tourists must accept it and must stay in the hotels,
also entering the beach is permitted. For us it was an unbelievable,
grandiose experience.